July 2013

July 30, 2013

Colleyville Heritage graduate Preston Palmeiro, son of former Texas Ranger Rafael Palmeiro, announced his commitment to North
Carolina State via Twitter Sunday. The first baseman batted .386 with 34 RBIs and three home runs last spring as a senior.
Palmeiro chose the Wolfpack over TCU, Oklahoma State, North Carolina
and Mississippi State, his dad’s alma mater.

Texas A&M defensive lineman Polo Manukainiu, a redshirt freshman from Euless Trinity, died in a Monday car accident during a trip home from Utah, school officials confirmed this morning.

Manukainiu, 19, died in the one-vehicle rollover accident that occurred Monday at 7:52 p.m. (Central time). He was one of three individuals that died in the accident, which also killed Gaius Vaenuku, an incoming member of the Utah football team and Panukainiu's former teammate at Trinity.

According to the report from the New Mexico State Police, Manukainiu was a passenger in a 2002 Toyota Sequoia traveling south on U.S. 550 in Sandoval County in New Mexico when the vehicle drifted off the roadway. The driver overcorrected and the vehicle rolled several times, killing Manukainiu and another passenger, Andrew Uhatafe, who were ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.

Vaenuku was taken by ambulance from the scene and pronounced dead in the ambulance. The driver and a fifth passenger were transported to San Juan Regional Hospital after sustaining minor injuries. The police report said alcohol was not involved and it appeared that the driver was the only person wearing a seat belt.

Manukainiu was part of the Aggies’ 2012 signing class and redshirted last season. He was expected to play a reserve role this season but was not listed on the Aggies’ defensive depth chart heading into the start of fall drills.

“We lost a terrific young man,” Texas A&M head football coach Kevin Sumlin said in a statement released by school officials. “Polo was loved by his teammates and coaches. Anyone who came in contact with him was struck by his sense of humor and smile. My heart aches for his mom and family members.”

Manukainiu, a two-time all-district performer at Trinity, was rated as a four-star prospect in high school by ESPN and 247sports.com. He was considered a three-star prospect by Scout.com and Rivals.com.

In 2011, his senior season at Trinity, he helped lead the Trojans to an undefeated regular-season record before losing in the third round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs to Arlington Martin.

Manukainiu was a recreation, parks and tourism science major at A&M and is survived by his mother, Lima Uhatafe of Euless. Via Twitter, his death triggered responses from fellow college players.

A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2), the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, wrote: "Heart hurts waking up to news about Polo. I think I speak for everyone on our team when I say we love you brother you will be missed."

Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury, who spent last season as A&M's offensive coordinator, got to know Manukainiu during his stint in College Station. Kingsbury (@TTUKingsbury) wrote: "My thoughts and prayers go out to Polo's family and friends. An incredible young man gone way too soon. RIP Polo."

July 29, 2013

The Longhorn Network will televise the Texas-Kansas game, Nov. 3 in Austin, network officials announced today. The contest will kick off at 2:30 p.m. It marks the third LHN telecast of a Texas home game this season, joining contests against New Mexico State (Aug. 31) and Ole Miss (Sept. 14).

Single-game ticket sales begin today for the University of Texas’ home football games. Prices range from a low of $45 for seats to the Aug. 31 opener against New Mexico State to $85 for premium seats for home games against Ole Miss (Sept. 14), Kansas State (Sept. 21) and Oklahoma State (Nov. 16).

Fans can order only by visiting www.TexasSports.com or by calling 800-982-2386.

July 26, 2013

TCU men's basketball incoming freshman Karviar Shepherd, one of nation's most highly-coveted recruits, has been cleared by the NCAA, TCU coach Trent Johnson confirmed.
Shepherd, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound center from Dallas Prime Prep, was in limbo just a couple weeks ago when it was reported that the NCAA had ruled him ineligible because of academic issues with the school.
The news is big for the Horned Frogs, who are hoping the 2013 recruiting class, led by Shepherd, will help begin to turn the program around in Johnson's second season as coach.
Stefan Stevenson
@FollowtheFrogs

TCU’s season opener against LSU at AT&T Stadium has not officially
been announced as a sell out but a cursory search for tickets online showed
that only standing room only remains available.
The 8 p.m. Aug. 31 game will be televised by ESPN.

Fans can still purchase Spirit Passes for $40 each that will
get them in the building for the Cowboys Classic. Both schools sold out of their allotments of 25,000
tickets, according to a source.

Friday afternoon you could still purchase a group of 50
spirit passes for about $1,940 before taxes and fees.
Stubhub.com, the aftermarket ticket reseller site, was selling spirit passes going
for between $45 and $71 Friday afternoon.
The cheapest seats available on the site were $75 for upper reserve on the 24th
row in section 404. One delusional soul was selling two upper reserve tickets
in section 434 (in the corner of the end zone) for $1,700 each. Good luck with
that.

TCU last played in the stadium against BYU in 2011. The Horned Frogs won 38-28. TCU opened the 2010 season with a 30-21 win over Oregon State in the Cowboys Classic. LSU beat Oregon 40-27 in the Cowboys Classic in 2011 before a then record 87,711 in attendance. The Tigers beat Texas A&M 41-24 in the Cotton Bowl played at the stadium after the 2010 season.The first Cowboys Classic pitted BYU and Oklahoma in 2009. BYU won 14-13 in front of 75,437 fans. A year ago, Alabama beat Michigan 41-14 in front of 90,413 fans.

July 25, 2013

Oklahoma pitcher Keilani Ricketts and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein
were named 2012-13 Big 12 Conference Athletes of the Year, the league office
announced Thursday. Ricketts
led Oklahoma to the Women’s
College World Series title and was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of
the Year for the second consecutive season. Klein was a Heisman Trophy
finalist.

July 24, 2013

Online ticket sales began today for Notre Dame’s Oct. 5 game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. The Irish meet Arizona State (6:30 p.m., NBC) in what the school is calling its 2013 Shamrock Series contest: a Notre Dame home game moved to another venue.

Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Prices range from $88 to $132, with a limit of eight tickets per order. Advanced parking, priced at $45 per vehicle, also is available through Ticketmaster.

Officials at the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic announced today that this year’s game at Cowboys Stadium, set for Jan. 3, 2014, is a sellout. This year’s Cotton Bowl will be the last matching a team from the Big 12 against an SEC opponent. The Cotton Bowl becomes part of the College Football Playoff mix in the 2015 postseason, with Cowboys Stadium to host the inaugural title game of the playoff era on Jan. 12, 1015.

July 23, 2013

Kansas State linebacker Tre Walker drew attention in Monday’s opening session of the Big 12 media days by saying that Texas “laid down” in the fourth quarter of the Wildcats’ 42-24 victory last season in Manhattan, Kan.

Walker said: “Texas laid down against us. It’s what they do.”

A pair of Longhorns responded today.

“We’re Texas. We don’t quit,” said offensive guard Trey Hopkins. “We don’t have a reputation for being quitters.”

Safety Adrian Phillips said: “Everybody’s entitled to their opinion. They won the game. If he thinks like that, then that’s just his thought. It’s a new season, so when that game comes around, we’ll just have to see.”

The teams meet Sept. 21 in Austin. Kansas State has won the last five meetings between the schools.